Work empowerment in multidisciplinary teams during organizational change

Abstract

Conducted as part of a project dealing with work empowerment in multidisciplinary teams in a Finnish hospital specializing in providing care and treatment for different rheumatic conditions, this study set out to explore the associations between organizational change factors and perceived work empowerment in a setting where patients with chronic diseases are being cared for by multiprofessional teams. All health‐care professionals working at the hospital under investigation were invited to take part in the survey. Data were collected in 2005 with a structured questionnaire consisting of five parts: background variables, organizational change factors, aspects of work empowerment as well as factors promoting and impeding empowerment. Organizational change factors correlated with work empowerment as well as factors promoting and impeding empowerment. There was little agreement by multiprofessional teams that factors relating to organizational change were present in their work setting. Organizational change factors are important in order to be able to meet the demands by facilitating optimal action during organizational changes. The planning and implementing of organizational changes should be performed in cooperation with personnel throughout the organization at all stages. It would be important to address potential difficulties and try to pre‐empt any problems from the planning stage.